He had back surgery last April, was traded to the Lakers in August and started his comeback by playing two exhibitions in October. He tried not to second-guess it Tuesday a few hours before his 55th regular-season game.

"Looking back on it, I could have sat out the whole season until now and starting playing now, but I just felt like we had such a great opportunity," he said. "Some of these guys, their windows for winning are very small, and I just wanted to get back and try to do whatever I can to help this team, knowing that I wasn't in great shape. My body wasn't all the way there yet."

Howard has looked a step slow on offense and defense, opening the door for critics of his game. He has incrementally improved but hasn't been the force envisioned when he was acquired.

"Sometimes I have gotten beat up for it, but that's fine. I'll take all those hits and I'll keep moving," Howard said. "People watch games and they see me playing so they think it's all good. It's just a time thing. I've just got to keep going, keep pushing myself and it'll get better."

He had only six points on one-for-seven shooting and took 16 rebounds in the Lakers' 122-105 loss Tuesday to Oklahoma City.

Should he have taken off more time after getting that herniated disk repaired last spring?

"I don't want that in my head. I don't want myself to be thinking so much about what I should have done, what if I would have waited until this time or that time," he said. "I just know that the harder I push myself, every day it's getting better."